Harvey Specter: Lawyer and Father
by Odysseus42
Summary: When Harvey finds out that he has a biological son in his teens with a dying mother, his whole life changes. He soon finds out that his son, Mike, is very talented, perhaps even cleverer than himself. But when he goes missing from school one day, Harvey realises that he has been keeping secrets from him and that he might be in grave danger. Father/son fluff. 7-10 chapters
1. Chapter 1

**Hey everyone! You will have probably seen quite a few fics where Mike is Harvey's adopted son (I know I have), but even so, I wanted to write one myself that's a bit different.**

 **There will be a lot of father / son fluff, but don't worry; there is an actual plot, and there is gonna be lots of drama and angst later in the story ;)**

Harvey sat down on his bed, his mind racing. He was meeting his son tomorrow. _His son_. Whose mother was dying of cancer and whose father hadn't even known about him for the past 14 years. He took a deep breath, trying to steady his nerves. His life was about to change. Big time.

 _A few hours earlier…_

Harvey held his phone up to his ear, impatiently listening to the ringing noise. His new associate better pick up this time.

"Hello?" He heard the quiet voice from the other end.

"Did you file that patent?" Harvey said immediately.

"Um... Well… I- I didn't get a chance yet, I was still finishing those briefs from last-"

"If you don't get that patent filed and on my desk by 10:00 tomorrow you are fired," Harvey said, in his usual commanding tone. And he meant it. This wasn't the first time Rick Sorkin had messed up like this.

"But I don't-"

Harvey took his phone away from his ear and cut the idiot off. He wished he hadn't hired Rick in the first place. The job of an associate was to make the partners' lives easier, not give them even more work and stress. Harvey was starting to wonder how the guy had even made it through Harvard. He seemed good enough from the interview, even if he wasn't exactly what Harvey was looking for, but he just couldn't handle all the work. Harvey was pretty sure that even that useless one, Hector Gunderson, was a better lawyer.

Harvey walked to his kitchen, putting his phone in his pocket, and poured himself a glass of water. He wasn't in the right mood for scotch. He lifted the glass to his lips, and was about to take a sip when the doorbell rang. Harvey really wasn't in the mood for this either.

He put his glass down and marched over to the door. Who would be calling round at 9:00 in the evening?

When he opened the door, he looked at the person in front of it for a moment. Then he frowned. "Do I know you?" He asked, cocking his head. He really didn't recognise this strange woman who had turned up on his doorstep. Her hair was ragged and a dull shade of blonde, like the colour had been sucked out of it. It hung loosely, tugging at the edge of her face, the expression of which looked very sullen. Her skin was pasty and thin, and looked like it had been stretched out over a network of light blue veins and two puffy eyes.

"I didn't think you would recognise me," She said bluntly, her voice surprisingly strong. And surprisingly familiar. "I'm Julia Ross,"

It took a moment to register what she had said. Julia Ross. The name rang a bell, but Harvey couldn't quite place it. He paused.

And then it hit him. Julia Ross, the beautiful secretary Harvey had gone out with years ago. But this couldn't be her. The Julia he knew was an energetic, stunningly beautiful young woman, whose face was always lit up with a smile. Harvey faltered for a moment. "Um… Come in," He eventually said, standing aside and holding the door open for her.

She walked into the room and Harvey closed the door behind her, wondering what the hell she was doing here. He hadn't seen her in what, 10 years? What was she doing showing up at his doorstep now? He motioned for her to take a seat on the couch.

"How long has it been since we last saw each other? 10 years?" Harvey asked, sitting down opposite her.

"15, actually. 15 years and 2 months," She replied. Harvey looked into her eyes, noticing the sadness that lay there. She had the eyes of an old woman, waiting for her own death.

"Wow. That long," Harvey said, raising his eyebrows. He noticed how precise she was. Most people would just have said '15 years', or even 'about 15 years'.

"So… What are you doing here now then?" Said Harvey.

"I'm dying, Harvey," Julia said, almost casually. "Of cancer,"

Harvey's mouth suddenly went dry. He didn't know what to say.

"I'm sorry," He mumbled. He wasn't so much sad as confused. He had broken off their relationship only a week after it began. And that week was 15 years and 2 months ago. Why would she be here now? Why was she coming to him?

"Harvey… I don't know how to say this," She said, looking into his eyes. Harvey felt his heart begin to race faster and faster with every second. "I have a son," She said finally.

Harvey frowned, confused. Why had that got anything to do with him? Unless… No. It couldn't be.

"He is 14 years and 5 months old," She said finally.

Harvey let out a deep breath. The maths wasn't hard.

This couldn't be happening. It just couldn't. It wasn't real. It was just a dream. Harvey closed his eyes, breathing heavily. Then he got up and started walking around. He paced around the apartment, not even looking at the woman sat on the couch.

A few minutes passed.

"Are you sure?" He asked her, pausing. "Are you sure he's mine?"

The woman nodded gravely. Harvey stood there, leaning his head against the wall and staring at the ceiling. There were a million questions bouncing around in his head, pushing at his skull, all trying to escape.

"Why didn't you tell me before?" He asked, looking at her for a reply. "All you had to do was pick up the phone!"

"I tried. I did. But… I deleted your number from my phone after you broke it off. And you moved away, to another city a few days after. I tried to track you down, but I just couldn't. I did everything I can think of, I really did,"

Harvey rubbed his forehead with his fingers, and pushed them through his hair. He was trying to stay calm, but _he had a son_. He was trying to deal with this rationally, _but he had a son_. He needed to sit down and take deep breaths but _he had a son_. Harvey Specter was a father.

He was happy inside, somewhere inside. Somewhere inside him he _was_ happy. But the happiness was covered in dread, in regret, in confusion. He walked quickly to the kitchen, picking up the glass of water and drinking it all in one gulp. Julia just sat there on the sofa, looking down at her hands.

What had she said earlier, she was dying? That would mean… Harvey put his glass down, harder than he meant to, and a metallic noise rang out. Julia tensed up for a moment.

He wasn't ready for this. To be a father. The news had just come out of nowhere. He had a son. A fourteen year old son. A teenager. A boy. A child. A kid. A _huge responsibility._ Someone who would look up to him. Someone he would look after, would bring up. His bachelor lifestyle would be out the window, and he wasn't even married.

Who was he to bring up a child? He didn't have the first clue about any of that. He didn't even remember what it was like to _be_ a child. Thinking back at his own childhood, he realised that it was so, so _messed up._ How was he meant to raise a child properly when he didn't even know what a proper childhood was?

He took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. He couldn't keep thinking about the negatives. That would get him absolutely nowhere. Instead, he asked, "What's he like?", trying not to let his voice shake.

Julia's face instantly lit up with a smile. "He is amazing. He is handsome, and clever, and kind, and smart. Just like you. And his mind… He has an amazing mind," Julia's eyes start to brim with tears. "You will love him, Harvey,"

Harvey leaned against the work top, trying to clear his head.

"Are you doing anything tomorrow evening?" Julia said, hesitantly, breaking the silence.

"Why?" Harvey asked, butterflies flooding the pit of his stomach.

"What I'm trying to say is…Do you want to meet your son?"

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Harvey lay down on his bed and pulled the covers over him. He felt… strange. Yes, there was a strange and unknown feeling rising up in him, rising up against the panic and the anxiety of it all. He couldn't place it. He hadn't felt it before in his life. It wasn't a bad feeling though. It was definitely good. Most of his feelings came from his head or his gut, but this one didn't. This one was coming straight from his heart.

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Harvey could not concentrate. He just couldn't. He was tapping his fingers against the desk and playing with his pen, trying to check through the merger agreement. He could read a few sentences fine, but then his mind would start to wander.

He was meeting his son tonight. His son. The words sounded strange an unfamiliar in his head. He was a father. That word sounded scary. It wasn't just a word. It was responsibility and… well, more responsibility. He leant back in his chair, chewing the end of his pen in his mouth. There was so much to think about; money, school, raising a child.

But it wasn't just that. He was nervous and unsure.

It wasn't a feeling he was familiar with. Even before appearing in court he was calm and collected, simply because he knew he would win.

But this time, he didn't know if he was going to win.

Would the kid even like him? Would he be angry at him for leaving? Would he just not want to see him at all? And what if Harvey didn't like him? Was that even possible; not to like your own child. That was what Harvey was most scared of. Himself.

"Harvey, did you get the patent? I put them on your desk as soon as I could,"

Harvey looked up to see Rick, his associate, standing in front of his desk, his hands clasped in front of him, and his bright blue tie far too skinny.

"No, I didn't. You're fired," Harvey said casually, looking down at his laptop screen again.

"But… I… No. I definitely put them on your desk," Rick said, his face filled with pure panic. "Donna will tell you, won't you, Donna?" Rick looked over at Donna's desk.

Donna shook her head, shrugging.

"No, I'm telling you Harvey, I came in here at 8:30 and put them right there," Rick motioned to the front of his desk. "Wait…" He said, noticing something under a pile of papers. He pulled out a few dark blue files. "Hey! They were here all along,"

"Oh yeah, I remember now," said Harvey, trying not to smirk, his eyes still glued to his laptop screen.

Rick did not look happy. "Oh, very funny,"

"What do you mean I'm funny?" Harvey said loudly, looking up and staring intently at Rick.

He looked terrified. "Sorry, I didn't mean it like that, I was just-"

"Relax, I was just quoting a movie," Harvey said, rolling his eyes. "You've seriously never seen Goodfellas?"

"Um… No… I don't think so," Rick stuttered.

Harvey looked at him with incredulity. "Where have you been all your life?"

Rick opened his mouth to answer, but Harvey cut him off. "Actually, don't answer that. Your tie says it all,"

Rick lifted up his tie, studying it. "I don't see what's wrong with it? It's just a tie. It's a nice tie. I like this tie. It's actually my favourite. I think," He said nervously.

"And therein lies the problem," Harvey said, raising his eyebrows. "Anyway, you need to go and get Mr Waldon from the lobby. The practise deposition is starting in 5,"

Rick nodded, turned around and walked out.

"Never watched Goodfellas…" He muttered to himself, shaking his head.

"Some of us have actual lives…" Donna said jokingly.

 _I am going to have a life, in a few hours anyway._ Harvey thought, his mind turning, once again, back to his son. He stared at his shelf full of records. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Donna coming in.

"Okay, you haven't been a total dick to Rick today. You only insulted his tie, not his face, or anything else, like you usually do. You didn't even try to think of a 'Harvey Specter cool guy witty comeback' just then, my ears are hurting from all the tapping you've done, and you keep staring into empty space. Also, your hair isn't as gelled as it normally is, but you have looked yourself in the mirror loads of times this morning-"

"How could you possible know th-"

"And your shirt collar is slightly creased. Hmm… You are feeling guilty about something… You did something you want to make up for… And you are…" Donna paused, faking a gasp. "You're nervous about something!" She finished.

"I am not nervous about anything, and if you think I'm feeling guilty, you're in the wrong offi-"

"Either someone in your not immediate family has died, you are meeting someone you haven't seen in a while and feel bad about the way you left it, or-" Donna studied Harvey's face.

"That's it. You are meeting someone you haven't seen in a while," Harvey's reaction told her that it was true. "And you want to make a good impression but not seem to… Formal… You want to seem more casual. So it's definitely something personal. And you-"

"Hey, Donna, I'm gonna cut you off right there, because this could take a long time and I'm busy," Harvey said.

"You're meeting a kid, aren't y-"

"Donna!" said Harvey, raising his voice slightly. "I don't want to talk about it right now, alright? And as I've already told you, I am very busy. I need to get on with my work,"

"Alright then," Donna said, raising her hands in surrender. She walked out of the office, leaving Harvey alone.

It was going to be a long day.

 **Thanks for reading everyone! I would love to know what you think and would really appreciate reviews :) Also, if anyone has any ideas or suggestions for this story, or others, then feel free to PM me!**

 **Hope you enjoyed reading the first chapter of HARVEY SPECTER: LAWYER AND FATHER**


	2. Chapter 2

As soon as it was 6:00, Harvey packed all his things away, left the office and hurried home. His son, Mike, was coming at 6:30, and he needed to get everything ready.

He checked his fridge, to find some old elderflower cordial that had been sitting in his fridge for the last five years. Kids like elderflower cordial, right? Well, it was that or water. Or scotch. But he doubted his son drank scotch. Then Harvey started to wonder if Mike was like him at all. He might not even be anything like he imagined.

Harvey sighed, sitting down on the couch and trying to calm himself down. His mind was all over the place, his thoughts whizzing around in his head.

Why was he this goddamn nervous? It was just a kid. He had taken on billion-dollar companies in court, he had faced off with federal prosecutors. Why was he so scared of a fourteen year old boy?

Then came a knock at the door. Harvey stood up and straightened out his suit. He stood there for a moment with his eyes closed, then he walked to the door and opened it.

Harvey wasn't really sure what he had expected, but it wasn't this. Before him stood a short, blond-haired, scrawny boy, wearing jeans that were far too big for him and a light blue shirt over a navy t-shirt. A battered canvas rucksack sat on his back. He wore a slightly angry, unhappy expression on his face. They both stood there, looking at each other.

Then Mike spoke. "My mom, she's in the hospital right now for a check up, so she can't be here," His voice was quiet and he spoke quickly.

"Um, okay, right… Well, come in," Harvey replied, motioning with his hand.

Mike walked into the huge apartment and looked around, taking it all in. He didn't look happy. At all. In fact, Harvey noticed, he looked even more angry and upset than before he had seen Harvey's condo.

Harvey wasn't sure what to do. Was the kid upset? Should he just act normally?

"Do you want a drink?" He asked, finally, as the boy sat down on the sofa, taking off his rucksack and putting it next to him.

"No," Mike replied, bluntly. He continued to look around the apartment.

"Like it?" Harvey said, taking a seat opposite him.

"Yeah," Mike said, noncommittedly. He paused, before saying, "You must be pretty rich to afford all this,"

Harvey chuckled. "Straight to the point, I see. I don't know if your mom told you yet, but I'm a lawyer at a big firm called Pearson Hardman,"

Mike nodded. "Yeah, she did,"

Harvey, once again, had no idea what to say.

"So… How's your mom doing?" He asked.

Harvey thought he saw a spark of anger cross the kid's face for a second, but it disappeared just as quickly.

"Well, you know, she has _cancer._ She's been in hospital quite a lot lately," Mike replied with a shrug.

Harvey opened his mouth to say something, but Mike spoke before he could. "It's been hard, just the two of us. Sometimes she has bad days, and it's not just her illness. She just starts crying for no reason and she doesn't stop,"

"I'm sorry, kid," Harvey said, looking down. "I didn't know about any of this. If I did, there is nowhere in the world I would have preferred to be except with you two,"

"Yeah, that's what my mom said too," Mike's face flashed with venom. "but if you had just stayed there, stayed with her, then it would all be different. You are so rich. You have so much money. Do you know where _we_ have been living the last few years?"

Harvey really didn't know what to say. Again. He had never been talked to like this by a kid before. He felt anger rising in him.

How could he have known? How was this all his fault?

He tried to push the anger down, taking deep breaths for a second, before saying, "I really am sorry, Mike. I want a chance to prove to you that I care. I want to get to know you better. I wish we could have all those years back that I wasn't there, but we can't. So we have to start from here,"

Harvey felt tears brimming in his eyes, just thinking about all the things he had missed; Mike's first birthday, learning to ride a bike, teaching him how to swim, just normal, everyday things they had both missed out on. And then he thought about how it must have been for Mike, growing up without a father to support him. To love him. And of course, his ill mother. He hadn't really thought about how hard it must have been before.

"I'm here for you now, Mike. For you and your mother, and I will give anything for you. You're my son. And I don't even know you, but I just… I love you anyway. How crazy is that?"

Harvey saw the tears brimming in Mike's eyes, although the scene was made blurry by the tears in his own.

Then, for the first time, Mike smiled. He stood up, and so did Harvey, and they hugged.

Harvey did his best not to cry, but he couldn't stop the tears flowing down his cheeks. He had never felt like this before.

He felt… Protective.

Like he would do anything to keep this boy safe. He had never felt like that about anybody before, even Marcus. This was different.

Mike squeezed him tight, his arms around him, and Harvey, felt, for the first time in his life, perfectly at peace.

They pulled away, and Harvey rubbed away his tears, seeing his son do the same thing.

"Like I said, I want to get to know you better. I mean, we don't know anything about each other yet," Harvey said, taking a seat on the sofa and motioning for Mike to sit next to him.

"Actually, my mom told me a bit about you," Mike said.

"Really?" Inquired Harvey, raising an eye brow.

"She said you were, and I quote, 'Funny and lovable',"

Harvey smiled, surprised. That wasn't what he had been expecting.

"Oh, and she also said you were 'a cocky, arrogant son of a bitch who didn't care about anyone but himself'. That was a direct quote again," said Mike with a smirk.

Harvey's smile grew and he laughed. That sounded more like it.

"That seems about right," He said jokingly. "But enough about me. What do you like doing?"

"Well, I like reading, watching movies, cycling… And I think that's about it,"

"Sounds cool. What are your favourite movies then?"

"Hmm… Hard question. I would probably have to go with…" Mike paused for a moment, thinking. "Well Star wars is the obvious choice. But I also love Dead Poets society. And the Breakfast Club. And Indiana Jones. And Ferris Bueller's day off. And a load of others,"

"So you like old movies, do you?"

"Yup. 80s and 90s are the best,"

Harvey got up and walked over to his TV, opening the black cabinet underneath to reveal rows of dvds. "I have all the classics, and some new ones as well,"

Harvey saw Mike's face light up in delight. Just seeing that expression on his face made a wide smile appear on Harvey's.

"Awesome!" Said Mike.

Harvey sat back down. "So, you like reading as well?" Mike nodded. "What's your favourite book then?"

"That is an extremely hard question. I don't think I really have just one favourite. Bill Bryson's 'A short history of nearly everything' is really interesting. I also really like 'Anna Karenina' by Tolstoy, and 'For whom the bells toll' by Hemmingway. 'Lord of the rings' is amazing as well,"

Harvey nodded, impressed. "Those are some difficult reads, you must have a big brain up there,"

Mike looked pleased. "Yeah, it's not bad," There was a moment of silence and then: "Actually, can I show you something?"

"Yeah, sure,"

"Do you have any books handy?" Mike asked.

"Yup, I'll just go get one," Harvey said, getting up and walking into another room. "Any one?" He shouted.

"Yeah, any book," Mike replied.

Harvey came back into the room with a small book in his hand.

"Okay, turn to any page," Mike said.

Harvey flicked through to a page near the middle of the book. Mike held out his hand and Harvey gave him the book. A few seconds later Mike gave the book back to Harvey, still on that page. Harvey was unsure what he was going to do. Recite the whole page by memory? The idea was impossible, laughable, unless the kid had some kind of magic trick.

Then Mike cleared his throat and started to speak. "he had improved upon his previous purchases yet again. In a perfect heat of vexation with himself for such tergiversation, he went anew to the shop door, was absolutely ashamed to enter and give further trouble, went to another shop, brought a pair at the enormously increased price, because they seemed the very thing, asked the goldsmiths if they would take the other pair in exchange…"

Harvey followed on the page. It was word perfect.

"Next morning Knight was yet again crossing St. George's channel – not returning to London by the Holyhead route as he had originally intended, but towards Bristol – availing himself of Mr. and Mrs. Swancourt's invitation to-"

"Wow kid! How the hell are you doing that?" Harvey exclaimed, incredulous. He couldn't believe it. His son was a genius!

"Well, I read something, and then once I understand it, it's in here forever," Mike tapped the side of his head.

"That is absolutely amazing!" Said Harvey, shaking his head in astonishment. "I've never seen anything like it before!"

"Thanks!" Said Mike, beaming.

"So you can do that with anything? Numbers? Objects? Faces?"

"Yep," Mike said, his smile lighting up his whole face.

Harvey shook his head again. "Wow… That's… Just wow," He was so pleased that his son was talented like that. He felt like he loved him even more. And there was another feeling he had never felt before… Pride for another person. Sometimes he felt proud of himself, but never proud of anyone else. But he was so proud of his son right now.

"So, do you play any sports?" Harvey asked.

Mike's face fell slightly. "Well… Not really. I'm not very good at baseball or basketball. But I like watching," Harvey could tell that the kid didn't want to disappoint him in any way.

"That's okay, kid. Nobody is good at everything," Harvey said, trying to reassure him. "Ever tried boxing before?"

"No. I probably wouldn't be very good,"

"Hey, don't think like that. I'll take you sometime. It will be fun,"

"Really?" Asked Mike.

"Yeah, of course! I want to spend as much time with you as I possibly can," Said Harvey. He had said these words to different people over the years, but never really meant it. This time he did. With all his heart.

Mike suddenly looked down. "About that… um… When I said mom's in the hospital for a check up… well, that's not entirely true. She had a bit of a problem and she's gonna be in there for a few more days, so can I- is it alright if I stay here for a bit?"

Damn. That was going to be a problem. What would the kid do all day? Then Harvey remembered that there was such thing as school. _What am I thinking anyway? He's my son; of course he can stay. I'll probably- definitely enjoy spending time with him anyway!_

"Of course, kid! I have a spare room you can stay in. In fact, it can be yours," He said with a smile.

"Thanks," Mike said.

"I hope your mom gets better," Harvey said tentatively. He didn't really know what to call her; Julia or "your mom". It seemed a bit strange saying "Your mom" about someone he once dated, but it seemed a bit strange saying "Julia" about the boy's mother. In the end, he decided to stick with "your mom".

"Yeah, so do I," Mike said, a sad expression on his face.

Harvey could tell the boy wasn't stupid; he knew his mother was going to die soon. He put his arm around him.

"C'mon, it's getting late. Why don't I show you your new room," Harvey said, patting him on the back and getting up from the sofa.

Mike smiled.

"Thanks, Dad,"

 **I hope you all enjoyed the second chapter! I won't be updating as quickly as I usually do because I have been quite busy lately and school is starting in a few weeks :( So I will be posting chapters a week or less apart, instead of a few days. If anyone has any suggestions for this story or others, please PM me or review :)**

 **Btw, in case anyone wants to know what the book Mike read from is, its "A Pair of Blue Eyes" by Hardy. The first one I saw on my shelf was Divergent, but I had a small suspicion that that isn't really the kind of book Harvey would have XD**

 **I'd really appreciate reviews so tell me what you think! ;)**

 **Thanks,**

 **Odysseus**


	3. Chapter 3

_Dear Diary,_

 _I met my dad today. My dad! My real, biological father. I can't believe how nervous I was before, and how angry. I was angry at him for leaving, even though I knew it was irrational because he couldn't have known about me. I suppose I was just angry at a lot of things, and I needed somebody to take it out on. I don't think I was actually angry at him (I do understand his situation), just angry at everything. I don't even know what's going on inside my own head sometimes. Anyway, enough self psychological analysis._

 _Harvey was so_ nice. _I don't know how else to describe it. I just… I like him. And I can tell he likes me, which is a huge relief. My biggest fear was that either he wouldn't like me, or I wouldn't like him. I imagined him to be older, maybe with grey hair. And more… I dunno. Less rich, definitely. But I suppose he is a hot-shot lawyer. He said he would take me boxing one day! I'm a bit scared though, because I don't know if I will be good or not, and I really really don't want to disappoint him. I know it sounds silly, but what if he stops liking me? When he knows me better, will he still love me? And will I still love him? Ah, it sounds like I'm writing about my crush, so I'm going to stop now. Anyway, it's 11:00 so I should probably be getting some sleep._

 _M_

"Dad! Harvey!"

Harvey suddenly woke up, to hear someone whispering his name. He sat up immediately. Mike was standing at the foot of his bed, dressed in the same clothes as yesterday, but with a different t-shirt on.

"Mike, what is it? Is something wrong?" Harvey said groggily, suddenly worried. He propped himself up and checked his alarm clock, to find that it was 7:25.

"Nothing's wrong, I'm just about to go to school," Mike replied, holding up his backpack.

"Oh, right," Said Harvey, relaxing. "Have you had breakfast yet?"

"Yep, I made myself an egg. I hope that's okay, I didn't want to wake you any earlier,"

"Yeah, of course that's ok. Do you need me to take you to school? I can get my driver to-"

"You have a driver?" Interrupted Mike with a mixture of "Wow, that's so cool" and "seriously?" showing on his face. "It's okay anyway, I can take my bike. It's downstairs in the lobby. That's what I normally do,"

"Is it safe?" Harvey asked, rubbing his eyes. He had heard of many New Yorkers being knocked down by cars.

"Yeah, it's fine. I do it every day. I actually enjoy it anyway. And I wear a helmet, so you don't have to worry about that,"

"Alright," Said Harvey, feeling a bit better about the whole cycling safety thing. "It's a bit early though, isn't it?"

"I like to be there early. School starts at 8:15 anyway and it's a 20 minute cycle ride from here,"

"Ok, sounds good," Said Harvey, trying to wake up his brain.

Mike walked out of the room, shouting, "See you later then,"

"Bye!" Harvey replied. "have a good day,"

He heard the door shut and put his head back down on the pillow. He groaned.

 _I should have talked to him more._ He thought. _About anything. I should have asked him about his school. Shit, I should have asked him what time his school ended and what it was called. And where it is. And whether he was going to cycle back here. Oh no! He doesn't have the key! Is he just going to wait outside for hours on end when he comes back?_

Harvey jumped as his alarm went off, pulling him out of his thoughts. He reached over and turned it off.

 _He's a resourceful boy, I'm sure he will manage. Wait, is that what a responsible parent would think? Should I be making more of an effort?_ Harvey sighed, pulling his douvet off him and putting his feet on the cold floor. _Well, It's too late now._

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"How did your meeting go last night?" Donna asked, putting an emphasis on the word 'meeting', as Harvey walked past her desk. He turned back to face her.

"What meeting?" He asked innocently.

"Oh, don't play dumb, Harvey," She said in her usual joking tone. "You know I can always tell when you're lying through your teeth,"

Harvey rolled his eyes. "I actually have work to be getting on with, Donna, so can we continue this interrogation later?"

"Okay, Harvey, whatever you say. You the boss," Donna said sarcastically, turning back to her computer.

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Harvey checked the clock for the third time in the last half hour. It was 3:30. If he remembered correctly, school finished at 3:00. Or was it 3:15? Or 3:30? And what about after school activities? Actually, maybe it was 4:00.

 _Stop._ Harvey told himself. _No point in worrying about this. The kid will probably come here. He seems resourceful enough. And he will probably be able to work out that I'm not in my apartment at this time of day. All I need to do it make sure I stay in the building until he comes back. Which he will. And if he doesn't come here by 5:00 I will go and look for him._

Harvey turned his head back to his laptop screen, trying, once again, to concentrate on his work. There was a pit of worry gathering at the bottom of his stomach. He couldn't make it go away.

Then Donna's voice came in over the intercom. "Harvey, there's a boy here to see you," She said, rather smugly. Her suspicions had been confirmed. This must be who Harvey was meeting last night. But who was he?

"Send him in,"

Mike came into the room and looked around. "Wow, your office is so cool!" He said, walking into the middle. Then he noticed the basketballs and walked towards them.

Donna watched the small, blonde haired boy from her desk. She saw him pick up a ball, study it, then throw it over his head and catch it again. Strange. Very strange. Harvey never let anyone pick those up. And there was something even stranger. Harvey was smiling, which he hadn't done all day. Usually he didn't tend to smile when children were around. Actually, when was the last time he had properly smiled?

"How'd you get past security?" Harvey asked, looking over at his son.

"Oh, easy. I just said your name and they let me through instantly they were like 'Oh my gosh, you have dealings with the legendary Harvey Specter, we must let you through or he will execute us at dawn,'" Mile said, putting on a deep voice.

Harvey chuckled. "Maybe not execution. At least a night in the dungeons though,"

"I didn't tell them I was your son though," Mike said, "because I didn't know if you wanted people to know that yet,"

"WHAT?" Shouted Donna through the intercom.

"Not now, Donna," Harvey shouted back. "Good call. Anyway, how was school?" he asked Mike.

"Boring as usual. But it wasn't too bad," Mike replied, throwing the ball in the air again.

Harvey nodded. "Do they give you any extra work?" He asked.

"Nope. They moved me up a grade last year, but that's all," Mike replied.

Harvey leant back in his chair nodding slowly, as if he was thinking about something. After a moment, he said, "Wait there," And walked out of the room.

"Harvey-" He heard Donna say.

"I'll talk to you later, Donna," Harvey said, briskly walking past her.

A few minutes later, he walked back into his office to find Mike lying on his sofa.

"Hey, this couch is really comfortable. Maybe I - What're those?" Mike said, noticing the two leather-bound books Harvey held in his hand.

"These," Harvey placed the thick books on the table with a thud. "Are books I think you'll like reading,"

Mike sat up and opened the cover of the first book, scanning through the page. "Nice!" He said. "I can become an expert on the law!"

"There's a bit more to it than that, kiddo, but yes, you can make a start on it," Harvey replied with a laugh.

"I don't know if I want to be a lawyer, but these will certainly be interesting to read. Hey, are there more like this?"

"Oh yeah. There's a whole library,"

Mike's eyes widened.

"If you want, you can go in there after school sometimes. I'm sure I can sneak you in. After all, nobody wants to be executed,"

"Thanks Harvey!" Said Mike. "Dad, I mean. But I'll call you Harvey here, if you don't want people to know. I can just say you are my mom's friend and you're looking after me for a bit. After all, that _is_ the truth,"

Harvey nodded, smiling. He had found himself smiling a lot more recently. "So, do you want to stay here or go back to the apartment? You can take the books if you want. I'll give you the keys. It might be better if you go back there. I'll try to come home early tonight,"

"Yeah, sure," Mike replied, putting the books in his backpack.

"Hey, do you have a cell phone?"

"Yeah, I'll write my number down for you,"

"Thanks. I'll see you later then,"

As soon as Mike had left the office, Donna came in, shutting the door behind her, and made her way to Harvey's desk.

"Are you going to tell me what the hell that was all about?" She asked, her eyes wide and inquiring.

Harvey took a deep breath, leaning back in his chair. "Sit down. This could take a while," He waited for Donna to sit on the sofa, and then started to tell her everything.

When he had finished, Donna just sat there, staring at him and smiling slightly.

"Are you going to say something?" Harvey asked, leaning forward in his chair again.

"Wow,"

"Oh, thanks, Donna. That's so helpful. Just what I hired you for in the first place," replied Harvey, slightly annoyed.

"You're a father,"

"Yes, I did realise that, funnily enough," now he was just getting impatient.

"That is amazing, Harvey. A big responsibility,"

"I know," said Harvey, with a sigh.

"But at least now you have someone to care about, other than yourself,"

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?" Harvey asked in a light tone.

"I'm proud of you, Harvey," Donna said, her eyes shining.

Harvey was caught by surprise. "Um… Thanks, but why?"

"Well, you're stepping up. You are accepting this responsibility and… I think you'll make an amazing father,"

Harvey had no idea what to say to that. Eventually the word "Thanks," came out of his mouth.

"Hey, if you ever need any help or anything, just call me. Seriously. I want to help out as much as I can,"

"Thanks, Donna. I should be ok, I hope," Harvey said. "The only thing is… I don't know how much time I'll be able to spend with him. Everything is so busy at the moment, and I don't even have anyone to hand work off onto. Apart from Rick. But that's like handing work of to some stranger in the street, hoping they know what to do with it," He sighed. "I'm scared, Donna. I want to, no, I _need_ to be a good father, but I don't know if I will be able to. And there's work too. I'm going to be in the office until midnight some nights. I just… I don't know…" Harvey trailed off.

Donna stood up and walked over to him. "Harvey. You will be an amazing father, alright?" She said slowly. "And even if you have to spend time in work, he'll understand. Just try to leave as early as you can, and remember, I'm always here to help out if you need it. And once his mother gets out of the hospital, she might be able to as well,"

Harvey paused. "She doesn't have long, Donna,"

"Oh…" Donna looked down. "Does Mike know that?"

"I don't think anyone has told him, but I'm pretty sure he knows anyway,"

Donna nodded gravely. "Must be really hard for the kid,"

"More than hard, Donna,"

"Yeah. Well, now he has a father," She said with a smile. "He must be over the moon,"

"I think he is," Harvey said, also smiling. "And so am I,"

"You told your family yet?"

 _Shit._ Thought Harvey, his smile fading, as his stomach filled with worry. _I hadn't even thought about that yet. It hadn't even crossed my mind._

When he didn't reply, Donna said, "I mean Marcus, not Lily, but she will probably want to see her grandson, and that means seeing you, and-"

"I know, Donna," Interrupted Harvey. "I know. I think I'll wait a bit before telling them though," He took a deep breath.

"I don't know if I'm ready to forgive her yet," Harvey continued, glancing over at the painting hanging on his wall.

"You don't have to forgive her, Harvey, you just have to be prepared to have a civilised conversation with her,"

Harvey nodded, leaning back in his chair again. Was he ready to forgive her? He hadn't thought about it for ages. But now he had Mike, it was different. He had realised how important family really was. And Mike needed all the love he could get.

"Thanks, Donna. For everything,"

"Your welcome, Harvey. After all, what else did you hire me for?" She opened the door to go out. "And remember, if you need anything, just call,"

Harvey nodded, although his mind was elsewhere. Maybe he was ready to forgive his mother. Maybe it wouldn't be as bad as he had thought.

 **Thanks for reading everyone, and thanks for the reviews as well :) I might not be updating very quickly, because I'm going back to school soon :(**

 **I would really appreciate reviews, even if they are negative, so if you have any ideas, or anyways I can improve my fic, please tell me and I will try my best :). As always, if anyone has any requests or ideas, please PM me.**

 **Thanks,**

 **Odysseus :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry in advance for the law stuff in this chapter; I don't really know much about it so I kind of just made some stuff up. Hopefully it won't take away from the story.**

 _Dear Diary,_

 _The past few days have been amazing! I haven't been able to spend all that time with my dad, because of his work, but he is going to take me boxing on Sunday. To be honest, I don't mind not going anywhere, just staying in his condo and watching movies. As long as he is with me._

 _It was different with mum. I do love her, don't think I don't. It's just that she is never happy. She had been getting more and more depressed lately. I try to comfort her, but she just keeps crying. I have had to look after her, as well as Trevor. Talking about Trevor, I haven't seen him for a while. He called me about two weeks ago and said that his dad was getting drunk less now, and his step-mum was looking after him more._

 _Mum hasn't seen him for a while either, which, I think, is adding to her depression. I mean, not seeing your own son must be difficult. It probably isn't as difficult for him anymore though. He is with his father, at least, while my mum is alone in hospital. And yes, I know what I've written before about when he gets drunk and everything, but Trev said that hasn't happened for a long time. I used to get really upset about it, I just wished I could help him, but I couldn't, and to tell the truth, I feel a bit guilty because I haven't thought about him for the days I've been with Harvey. It's like, he is my new family and I'm leaving mum and Trev behind. I did go and see mum yesterday, and she isn't looking too bad. I think they have put her on that depression medication again, which is helping her state of mind, but I'm not sure how she is coping with her cancer. We didn't really talk about that. I just told her about how things were with my dad, and that made her happy. Call me naïve, but I think her illness is actually getting better after that last lot of treatment. She might make it through. Anyway, I'm going to try and get in touch with Trevor soon; he_ is _my half-brother, after all. And it's his 12_ _th_ _birthday in a few weeks as well. Anyway, I have to go now, because it's Saturday, so Dad's taking me to work with him. Should be fun._

 _M_

Harvey couldn't remember the last time he had been this happy. For the past two nights, he had got home to the smiling, enthusiastic ball of energy that was his son. They would have dinner, if Harvey was early enough, and watch a movie. Finally, Harvey had a family. He had someone waiting for him to get back every night, and someone to talk to about both work related and not work related things. Mike also seemed to be curious about the law, and was racing through the books his father had given him. He didn't seem like the same, nervous, angry boy who had come to Harvey's house just a few days ago. He seemed as happy as Harvey was.

"You ready to go?" Harvey asked his son, who was walking out of his room and into the kitchen.

"Yeah," Mike picked up his rucksack and put it on his back.

"Let's go then," Harvey opened the door for Mike, then locked up after them. They walked down the corridor of Harvey's building to the lift.

"I finished the books you gave me, by the way," Mike said.

"Really? It's only been a couple days," Harvey knew his son was bright, but those books were 400 pages of boringness, each. Harvey was a lawyer, but even at law school, years older than Mike was now, he had found them tricky, not to mention boring as hell.

"Yep,"

"And you've got it all in there?" Harvey said, motioning to his son's head.

"Uhuh,"

"Amazing," Harvey said, shaking his head. He was only getting used to his son's incredible skills.

"Hey," He said, looking Mike up and down, "Are you wearing the same clothes as yesterday?"

"Um… Yeah. I didn't bring that many,"

"We should probably go back to your mom's place and get some more. Actually, we can go out and buy some,"

"Really?"

"Yeah, of course! What better things do I have to spend my money on other than you?" Harvey said, putting his arm around his son's shoulder as they walked to his car.

"Good morning, Harvey, Mike," Ray said, as they approached the black car. He handed over the days newspaper to Harvey and another one to Mike. They both thanked him and got into the car.

"You can't stay in my office today," Said Harvey, when the car had started moving. "There will be people in and out of there all day, so you can sit in the law library, just down the corridor from my office. I'll come and check in on you every now and again, and I'll pick you up for lunch,"

"Wait, so I can read any book I want to?" Mike asked, his eyes widening.

"Yeah, you can drown in books if you want. And I'll show you where the kitchen is, if you want a drink. Just don't touch the bran bars, or the disgusting looking brown smoothies in the fridge,"

"Uh… why?"

"Well, I've told you about Louis, right?"

"Ohhh, yeah. Alright… Do you think I'll meet him?"

"Maybe. You'll probably see him around. Just look out for someone shouting at associates, and chances are, that'll be him,"

"Ok, I'll keep my eyes open,"

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Mike checked the time on his watch, leaning back on his chair. It was 11:30 so Harvey should be picking him up in a few hours. Nobody had asked him what he was doing there yet, but he had had some funny looks. Mike put his book down, getting bored. He had read two and a half books in the last few hours and he felt like getting up and walking around a bit. So he did. He made his way to the kitchen Harvey had showed him and poured himself a glass of water. Once he had drank it, he walked back to the library again. On the way he noticed someone he recognised; a pretty brown haired woman who was talking to a tall, brown haired man. He couldn't place where he recognised her from, even with his brilliant memory. Then it hit him, he had seen her at school, picking up her children. _What a small world it is,_ Mike thought. He walked past her, picking up a few words from their conversation: "Monday", "Housing Court" and "Zane". Then it hit him. There was a girl in his class called Esme Zane. That must be her mother. Wow, what a coincidence that the girl he had a crush on had a mother working at the same firm as his dad.

He sat down at the desk, trying not to think about that any more and concentrate on his law books. Then he heard shouting from behind him.  
"Yes, Rick, I know you're Harvey's associate, but you _are_ going to get this done for me, by yesterday, like I told you two days ago. So get on with it!" Mike looked behind him to see a short bald man standing over who must have been Rick Sorkin, Harvey's useless associate he had told him about.

"Yes, but I have looked in every one of these books, and at all of the past cases, and all the files you gave me, but I just can't find-"

"Well, you're going to find it, or I will make you regret the day you were born," Louis said with a tone of finality, and walked out of the room. "What're you looking at?" He asked an associate on his way out.

 _Yes, that was definitely the Louis Harvey had described_. Mike thought with a smile. _Would_ not _wanna work under that asshole._

Mike took another look at the Harvey's associate, who was hurriedly leafing through a thick file. When he got to the end of the file, he slammed it on the desk, and muttered something under his breath. Then he walked over to the bookshelf near Mike, the one that Mike had recently got a book from, and scanned through the titles, obviously looking for something.

"Are you alright there?" Zane said, walking upto Rick.

"Yeah, I'm just trying to find the 1985-95 housing policies," Rick said, the words spilling out of his mouth so quickly that Mike could only just understand what he was saying. "It's basically my last chance of solving this problem I've run in through. If I mess up again, I'm sure Louis will fire me. When I first got hired, he fired someone right in front of me!"

Then Mike realised that the book he had sat on his table was the very book Rick was looking for!

Zane laughed. "Don't worry, Louis can't fire you, you're Harvey's associate. And anyway, the guy he fired was from IT, and he didn't actually fire him,"

Mike could see the relief in Rick's face. "Oh, ok, alright, ok, well, I still need to find this book,"

Finally Mike plucked up the courage to say something. "Um…" He said loudly, and instantly regretted it. Both Zane's and Sorkin's heads turned in his direction and looked down at him. "Um… Is this the book you're looking for?" He held up the book and Rick walked towards him and snatched it out of his hand.

"Oh my God… Yes! This is it! Thanks so much er… Who are you exactly?" Rick said loudly, staring at Mike, obviously confused as to why someone so young was sitting in the law library reading a book on housing policies.

"Harvey's looking after me for the day. He's friends with my mum," Mike lied fluently. Well, it wasn't exactly a lie.

"Harvey? Looking after a little kid?" Zane said incredulously.

"Hey! I'm older than I look!"

"Alright," said Zane smiling. "Well, I'll leave you to get on with it, Rick,"

"Yeah, thanks," Rick sat down, taking a deep breath and staring at the thick book in front of him. He checked his watch, then opened the cover.

"Um… Rick, is it?"

"Yeah, I'm a bit busy right now," Rick said, not looking up from his book.

"I can help you. What are you looking for?"

Rick laughed. "Trust me, kid, you can't help me with this. And I need to get this done soon or I'm in deep sh- oh, sorry,"

"I'm fourteen years old, not 6," Mike said, getting up and walking to Rick's table.

Rick sighed, obviously annoyed. He turned to Mike. "Listen, kid, I am really busy, and I need to get on with this. I don't have time to be messing about,"

"Ok then, just tell me what you need to find, and then I'll leave you alone,"

"You are one annoying kid," Said Rick, shaking his head in irritation. "I need to find something that says that if a tenant pays their rent, but doesn't get a receipt, and their landlord claims they haven't paid, then there is basis for a lawsuit, and then I need to go through these files _again_ to find if there is any precedence, or any chance of a class action. There, now leave me alone,"

Mike took a few seconds to process this. "Okay, turn to page 132 and look a few lines down from the top. Oh, and also there's some stuff on 98 that might be useful, too,"

Rick looked at him with raised eyebrows. "Yeah, right,"

Mike exhaled, annoyed that Rick wasn't taking him seriously. He snatched the book up from the table and turned to the page himself, setting it down on the desk and pointing to the relevant lines. "There!" He said, walking back to his own desk. A few seconds later he heard a "Yes!" followed by a scribbling of a pen, from across the room. Mike smiled.

"Hey, kid," Rick said after a while. "You bored?"

Mike turned in his chair to face the associate. "Why?"

"Well, I could do with some help, if you want to," Rick said, shrugging.

Mike grinned. "Sure, why not?"

Soon Mike was hard at work, checking over and highlighting some files next to Rick. After half an hour had gone past, he noticed a shadow over him. He looked up to see Louis Litt.

"Rick. Who exactly is your little friend here?" Louis asked softly. Mike could see he was trying to contain his anger.

Rick's eyes widened. "Oh… He's-"

Louis snatched up the file Mike was working on. "What is he doing? Are you letting a 10 year old handle the work of a Manhattan law firm, work which you are meant to be doing for _me_?" Louis' voice increased until he was shouting.

"14 year old," Mike muttered under his breath, not loud enough for anyone to here.

There was a silence as Rick sat there, trying to get his words out. Mike was about to say something when he heard a familiar voice from behind him.

"He's with me," Harvey said, from in the doorway. Then to Mike: "Hey, kiddo, pack your stuff up,"

Louis stood there, staring at Harvey, then at Mike. "Wh- what?"

"Yeah, I'm looking after him today. His mom is a close friend of mine,"

Louis paused, taken by surprise. Harvey looking after a teenage boy?

"I don't remember this being bring a child to work day," He said eventually.

"Don't worry, Louis, the kid's a genius, I'm sure he could proofread more documents than you in his sleep,"

Louis' face turned red. "Well… I gave that work to Rick to do so-"

"To Rick? _My_ associate?" Harvey said, raising his eyebrows.

Louis' face fell as he realised his mistake. "Um… Yes, well, he's finished now, so I'll be taking these," He snatched up the files Mike had been proofread and the briefs Rick had been working on and promptly walked out of the room.

"Actually they're not finished…" Rick said, trailing off.

"C'mon, Mike, let's go get some grub," Harvey and Mike started to walk out of the room. Then he turned around again. "Oh, and Rick, don't mention this to anyone," Rick nodded quickly.

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Harvey had taken Mike to a café down the street from Pearson Specter. They were in the middle of eating lunch, Mike telling his father about how he was helping Rick, when Harvey got a phone call.

"Donna, what is it? … He's done what?... Okay, tell him not to sign anything until I get there… Yeah, about 10 minutes… Yeah, ok… As long as he doesn't sign anything… Yeah… I'll be there in 10…"

Harvey put the phone in his pocket and looked up at his son. "Sorry, Mike, but there's been an emergency at work and I-"

"I know, it's fine,"

"Sure?"

"Yep,"

"Alright then, I'll get you a sandwich on the way if you want,"

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Mike sighed. Here he was again, back in the law library. He leaned back in his chair, staring at the celling. He wished he could do something other than just reading. He enjoyed it, but he wanted to actually use the new knowledge he had acquired. He got up from his chair, and picked up his rucksack.

He walked to the bullpen, hoping to find Rick, and caught sight of him in the cubicle near the end, typing quickly on his laptop.

Mike stood in front of the associate's cubicle and cleared his throat.

"Louis!" Rick said with a start. "I've done the- Oh. It's you… Uh… what do you want? I'm working,"

"Can I help?"

Rick looked around, leaning back in his chair. "I dunno. Louis might get angry with me again. And Harvey as well. And I… Well, you're a fourteen year old boy who hasn't even been to law school,"

Mike saw the book "Speaker for the dead" lying on Rick's desk. Fortunately it was one he had read. He took a deep breath. "Rooter was at once the most difficult and the most helpful of the pequeninos. He was always there whenever Pipo visited their clearing, and did the best to answer the questions Pipo was forbidden by law to come right out and ask. Pipo depended on him – too much probably – yet though Rooter clowned and played like the irresponsible youngling that he was, he also watched probed, tested. Pipo always had to be aware of the traps that Rooter set for him,"

Rick looked down at the book on his desk. "Was that-"

"The first page of that book, word perfect? Yup,"

Rick's eyes widened. "So you've got some kind of photographic-"

"Eidetic memory, yes. Now, can I have some work to do?"

Rick grinned. "Pull up a chair, kid,"

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"Um… Harvey?"

Harvey looked up to see Rick standing in front of his desk, a pile of folders in his hands.

He took them from his associate and flicked through the first one. He looked at Rick suspiciously. "You've done a lot of these, much more than usual. Well done,"

"Uh… yeah… I didn't go for lunch, so I had more time,"

Harvey read through some more of the files. "You did a good job on these, Rick. Impressive,"

"Uh… Thanks. I'll go now, and finish off the rest," Rick said, turning and walking out of the room.

Once he had gone, Harvey chuckled quietly to himself. He thought Mike might get bored and ask for work, but he didn't realise what high quality it would be. If Rick thought Harvey believed he had done all this himself, he was mistaken. This work far exceeded Rick's normal quality. And Mike hadn't even been to law school.

Harvey's mobile phone started ringing. "Yes, who is it?" He answered.

"Marcus. I've got a missed call from you?"

"Oh yeah… I want to come visit you, and talk to mum as well,"

"That's great, Harvey,"

"Can I come up Sunday morning?"

"Yeah, sure, that's perfect… So, you're going to talk to mum?"

"I don't want it to be like this anymore. I want to make things right between me and her,"

"That's brilliant, Harvey. I'm really glad. I'll see you Sunday then,"

"See you then. Bye,

"Bye,"

Harvey put his phone away. He felt like someone was watching him and looked up to see Donna at her desk, looking at him and smiling. "I'm proud of you, Harvey. That was the right thing to do," She said over the intercom.

"Thanks, Donna. I just hope it will go okay on Sunday,"

"It will, Harvey. I'm sure it will,"

 **Not much action in this chapter; sorry about that! I hope you enjoyed it all the same! Next chapter will be more exciting, with some more angst and father/son fluff, so stay tuned :)**

 **As always, I would love to know what you think about this story and any improvements or constructive criticisms would be helpful.**

 **Thanks,**

 **Odysseus**


	5. Chapter 5

_Dear Diary,_

 _This morning, Harvey is going to see his family. He told me everything that happened when he was a kid, and that he wants to make up with his mother. I'm glad he is. And I'm excited to meet my uncle, cousins and Grandma. He said that he's not gonna tell them about me just yet though. I think he wants to make sure everything is okay between him and them before he gives them big news like this. It feels strange having relatives that I know about, but they don't know about me. Anyway, Harvey has left me on my own for the morning, but after lunch he's going to take me boxing, which sounds fun. As I already said, I'm a bit nervous, but I don't think it will be too bad. Yesterday he told me he knew I had done some of Rick's work, but he wasn't angry with me. He looked kind of proud actually. I have only ever seen that look on my mum's face before, and not for ages, but I now I see it all the time on Harvey's. He said, next time, he might even give me some work to do himself. As long as Jessica (that's his boss) doesn't find out. I haven't seen Jessica yet, she probably doesn't spend much time in the law library._

 _Harvey has just left, and I think I'm going to watch a film in a bit. I hope it goes ok for him._

 _M_

Harvey stood in the doorway of his mother's classroom, watching her teach. She looked so different from the last time he had seen her. She looked so old. And there was sadness in her eyes. Had Harvey caused that sadness? He had never really thought about what it must have been like for her, all these years, her son angry at her. For good reason, he reminded himself. And he was still angry at her, he was just trying to push his anger back. Maybe if he forgave her now, then they could 'make up' as Marcus had put it. But now he understood what it felt like to be a parent, and he couldn't imagine how he would feel if Mike wouldn't forgive him for something he did years ago.

When the class was over, and his mum was packing up all the paints and canvases, Harvey walked into the room. Lily looked up. Harvey could see the surprise and confusion in her face, but soon the surprise morphed into happiness.

"Harvey," She said, her voice shaking slightly. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to talk to you,"

Lily smiled. "I can't believe it. This is great,"

"I thought you might want to get lunch?"

"There is nothing I would rather do, Harvey,"

"Alright then," Harvey replied, smiling slightly. "I'll see you at Marcus' place. 12:30?"

"Yes, that would be wonderful,"

"See you then,"

Harvey turned and walked out of the room quickly. That conversation had felt so strange. It was like he had been talking to a stranger. He could tell how happy his mother had looked, though, and he was glad. He just hoped neither of them would mess it up.

It was only then that he realised how good it would feel to just forgive her. How all those memories, all those regrets and frustrations would just go away. He was so tired of being angry all the time. Exhausted was a more accurate word.

He had often thought about what it would be like to have a normal family. Being able to visit his parents happily living together. Seeing everyone for Christmas. Reading his niece and nephew a bed time story. All these simple things he had missed out on, all because of what his mother had done. Or rather, because he couldn't forget what she had done.

He didn't want that for Mike. He was already losing his mother; he needed his grandmother, uncle, aunt and cousins. And Harvey needed them as well. He couldn't bring up a teenager on his own.

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Harvey sat at the table, waiting for his mother to arrive. He had got there early, but now it was coming up to 12:30. Harvey tapped his foot on the floor, growing impatient. What if she didn't come at all? He wouldn't put it past her. Then he thought about how excited she had looked. No, she would definitely come. Right on cue, Lily walked into the restaurant and looked around for her son. Harvey waved, trying to smile.

"I got away from my class as soon as I could," Lily said, sitting down at the table.

"It's fine; I was just early," Harvey replied.

Lily nodded.

There was a silence.

"This feels strange, doesn't it?" Lily said eventually.

"Yeah," Harvey replied, speaking softly. "A little bit,"

"So, where do we start?"

Harvey paused and looked down. "I guess we start with me telling you I'm ready to forgive you,"

He looked up to see a small smile on his mother's face. "Why now?"

"I suppose I've just realised how important family is,"

Lily frowned slightly. "Are you getting married or something?" She said with a laugh.

"No, I just… Someone very special to me made me realise that there's more to life,"

Lily nodded. "Well whoever they are, I'm grateful,"

Harvey suddenly felt an urge to tell her about Mike. To tell her that he had a son. That she had a grandson.

"I want you to know that I'm ready to forgive you too," Lily said, still smiling.

Harvey's face fell. He frowned, confused. What did she mean? What the hell had _he_ done that he needed to be forgiven for?

"Forgive _me?_ Why?"

"For the last time we spoke. The way you treated me then, and Bobby as well. And for leaving for all these years,"

Harvey tried to control his anger and to stay calm. "What? I had my reasons for being gone," He exhaled sharply, shaking his head. "I can't believe this,"

"You had your reasons for being gone when you were a child, but now you're not,"

"Oh, so now you're talking to me about being mature? I can't believe you are turning this whole thing around on me," Harvey shook his head again.

He had finally decided to give his mother a second chance, and now what was she doing? She was saying it was his fault! She was just creating another conflict.

"I'm not turning it around, Harvey. You have no idea what it's like to have a child who acts like you don't even exist," Lily said, her voice still soft.

"You have no idea what it's like to have a mother who asks you to lie to your own father!" Harvey was trying to control his anger, but he couldn't help raising his voice slightly.

"Harvey, I have been trying to tell you for the past 20 years that I'm sorry for that. It was the biggest mistake of my life and I regret it every single day. Can't you understand how I have felt? Having a son who didn't care whether I lived or died?"

"I don't think you know how _I_ felt for the better part of my childhood, having to lie to my father every single day!"

"Harvey, that was 20 years ago. And I keep telling you I'm sorry. But 20 years is a long time, and I'm not the one neglecting my family any more,"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Harvey was growing more and more frustrated. He had come to make up with his mother, and now, she was just blaming him for everything! She hadn't changed a bit.

"What do you think it means?"

"I think it means that you still can't accept that you were wrong all those years ago!"

"How many times do I have to tell you, I'm sorry for what happened. But that was in the past, and I have been trying to make up for it ever since. You have just been-"

"You're the same self-centred, selfish woman you always were," Harvey said, getting up abruptly.

"And you're the same childish man _you_ always were,"

Harvey shook his head, starting to leave.

"Oh, you're just going to walk away? That's what you do best," He heard Lily say from behind him.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

When he arrived back at Marcus' house, Harvey was still fuming. But a part of him thought: _what if she is right? What if I am the one who is wrong?_

 _No, I came here to try and make peace, and all she does is spits in my face. I am the one who is being mature, she is the childish, selfish one. But what if she's right though? Maybe I have been neglecting my family. Is it time to suck it up, and just apologise to her? No, I could never apologise for something I didn't even do._

Harvey knocked on his brother's door and Marcus let him in.

"How'd it go?" He asked.

"I don't want to talk about it," Harvey replied, walking into the kitchen.

A look of annoyance flashed across Marcus' face. He shook his head. "Really, Harvey? It went _that_ badly?"

"I told you, I don't wanna talk about it. I'm going home," Harvey picked up his coat from the seat and started walking to the door.

"What? You haven't even said hello to the kids!" Marcus said, catching up with him. He stood between Harvey and the door, not letting him through.

"Look, Marcus. I want to make peace, I really do, but as long as she keeps spitting it back in my face, it's never going to happen. Now let me through,"

Marcus shook his head. "I can't believe this. Harvey, you need to accept that it wasn't all her,"

"What the hell do you mean?"

"You left all those years ago, and before today, you didn't even care if our mom lived or died! While you've been living big in the city, guess who has been helping with the kids? Mom and Bobby, that's who,"

Harvey shook his head. "You don't understand, Marcus,"

"No, I think it's you that doesn't understand. Because you have never had kids of your own. I can't even imagine what it would be like if my daughter or son hated me and had nothing to do with me for 20 years. It would be horrible. But you just don't understand that, Harvey,"

"Yes, I do!" Harvey shouted.

Marcus laughed grimly. "You don't, Harvey. You might think you can imagine it, but you have never had kids. You just don't know!"

Harvey looked down at the floor. Right then, Harvey desperately wanted to tell his brother about Mike. Maybe he should. What harm would it do? He hadn't planned it, but maybe it would bring them together. But then… It would just complicate things loads. He would have to go through a whole palaver with the whole family, and explain everything to them. And then they would want to see Mike, which they couldn't at the moment. And… It would just get so complicated, and this wasn't the right time.

"-And do you know who took the kids to school when I was in hospital? That's right, _Grandpa_ Bobby- Harvey, are you even listening to me?"

Harvey looked up at Marcus.

"Unbelievable. You weren't even listening to a word I was saying. See, this is the problem with you" Marcus shook his head. "Just go, Harvey. Don't come back; don't cause her any more pain,"

"Marcus," Harvey spoke softly again. He was so tired of all this arguing. "I'm coming back. I want to make up with her, I really do, but I have things to be getting on with back home,"

"Work,"

"Yeah. So I need to go,"

"Yeah, fine Harvey," Marcus threw his hands up in the air. "I just don't know what to do anymore. I'm sick of being in the middle of you two all the time. I just… Just go,"

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Mike was sitting on his bed reading when he heard the apartment door open.

"I'm back," Harvey said, walking into the kitchen.

Mike went into the kitchen, expecting to see a happy expression on his father's face. "How'd it go?" He asked.

"Not well," Harvey replied simply. "Look, I don't want to talk about it,"

"Oh," Mike took a seat next to his father.

"I'm sorry, kid. I know you wanted us to be one big happy family and everything, but it's just not that easy," Harvey said, looking down.

"I knew it was never going to be easy. You can always go around there another time,"

Harvey nodded. He looked at his son. His nice, kind, caring, smart, witty son. Had he been like that to his mother? Had he been a good son? Not just a good son, but a good brother, a good uncle?

"Come here," He said to Mike, embracing him in a warm hug. Harvey felt like crying. He wasn't even angry anymore, he was just… sad. He was disappointed in himself. Another feeling he had never felt before. But the tears weren't just tears of sadness, they were tears of joy and pride, for his mature, kind and loving son.

"Hey, dad?" Mike said, his arms still around his father.

"Yeah?"

"Can we watch a movie?"

"I thought you wanted me to take you boxing?"

"You don't really look up to it,"

"Yeah… I'd rather watch a movie too,"

"That's what I thought,"

They pulled away from the hug, both smiling.

"Thanks… for everything,"

"What do you mean kid? I'm your dad, that's my job,"

Mike's smile grew. "It's just that, with mum, I was always the one looking after her. Now I have somebody to look after me,"

"Well, what are parents for?" Harvey said. He hadn't really thought about it before. About what his mother had done for him. Apart from making him lie to his own dad. But now he thought about it, there was more. So much more. And he _had_ spat in his face. Maybe he had been wrong all those years. Not wrong about what she had done; he would hate that forever. Just wrong about what he had done, and how much she really cared about him.

"And thank _you,_ Mike,"

"For what?"

"Now I have something in my life that actually _means_ something. I never realised how… Alone I really was, and how there is so much more to life than just work," Harvey's eyes were brimming with tears as they hugged again.

The ringing of Harvey's cell-phone broke them apart. Harvey lifted his phone out of his pocket and answered it.

"Yes? Yes, I am. Um… yeah, of course…" It was at that point that the expression on Harvey's face went from confusion to a mixture of shock, horror and sadness. "Ok… Um... Alright. Yeah, I do… Right. Ok. Bye," Harvey put his phone down and looked at the floor.

"Was it the office?" Mike asked, even though he could see from Harvey's face that it was something much more important than work.

"No, the hospital. Mike, I don't know how to tell you this, but-"

"She's dead, isn't she?" Mike's eyes brimmed with tears, his face crinkling up in devastation.

Harvey pulled him into a hug. "I'm so sorry, kid,"

Harvey hated that sound. The sound of Mike sobbing uncontrollably. It made him want to cry himself. So he did.

 **Hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

 **Don't worry, things will get better for Mike and Harvey, but they might, just maybe, very possibly, get slightly worse before... Sorry! ;) Might be some whump, and definitely some emotional pain... Again, sorry about that..**

 **I would love to know what you think of it or any suggestions you have, so comments would be much appreciated. Constructive criticism is also very welcome :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**I am so so sorry for publishing this so long after the last chapter. I have been really busy lately, and I can't get onto at school because it's blocked which is really annoying. Anyway, I hope to publish the next one in the next few days. Hope you enjoy!**

 _6 days later…_

"Hey, Mike," Harvey stood in the bedroom doorway, looking at the duvet his son was buried under. He glanced around the room, at the clothes strewn all over the floor, the leather-bound book on Mike's desk and the pencil sharpener without a blade lying next to it. There was a pile of books, both fiction and law books, on the corner of his bedside table.

"Hm?" He heard Mike mumble quietly, shifting slightly.

"I need to go to work now, ok? People will start wondering why I have been taking so much time off lately,"

"Ok," Mike replied quietly, his voice slightly muffled by the pillow.

Harvey stood there for a moment, unsure of what to do.

"I'll try and get back as soon as I can, alright?" He said eventually.

"Ok,"

"I'll try and come back to check on you at lunch,"

"Ok,"

Harvey took a deep, uneasy breath. "Alright. Bye,"

He slowly closed the door and went out of the apartment.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

"How's he doing?" Donna asked, walking into her boss' office.

"Who?" Harvey looked up to see his secretary standing in front of his desk.

"Um… Your son maybe?"

"Oh…" Harvey leant back in his chair. "The same, I think,"

Donna nodded, a sad and concerned expression on her face.

Harvey sighed. "I just wish I could be there for him, but Jessica kept phoning me about this merger and asking where I was, and there's just so much on my plate at the moment. It's difficult,"

Only then did Donna notice the bags under his eyes, and the unusual red tinge in his eyes.

She frowned, asking, "Harvey, when did you last sleep?"

"Huh? Um… Last night probably,"

"Probably?" Donna raised her eyebrows.

"Yeah, well I got home at 10:30 and Mike was asleep so I did some more work until about 1:00 and then went to bed. But I didn't get to sleep for hours, and then I heard Mike crying at about 5 in the morning, so I got up to see him and then…" Harvey frowned and rubbed the bridge of his nose, suddenly irritable. "Donna, why does that matter? Look, I need to get on with my work, so-"

"You didn't get any sleep, did you?"

"Just leave it, Donna, I'm fine," He lied, even though his head was pounding, and he could hardly concentrate on his work. He didn't want to explain to her how he didn't get any sleep last night, and only a few hours the night before.

"Why don't you give Louis one of your cases or something?"

"No. No way, Donna,"

"Ok, then give more work to Rick,"

"You know how useless he is,"

Just then, Jessica appeared in the doorway. "Harvey, can I talk to you for a moment?" She said, looking at Donna, who promptly exited the room, closing the door on her way out.

"What is it, Jessica?"

"Mr Stephan said you didn't turn up for that meeting yesterday,"

For a moment, Harvey was taken off guard. What meeting? Then he remembered, there was a board meeting at Stephan & Sons. He was meant to be there.

Harvey rubbed his forehead and looked down, taking a shaky breath. "I'm sorry, Jessica, I just forgot,"

"You forgot?" Jessica raised her eyebrows. "You just forgot this important meeting which determines the fate of their company? I had to send Louis in, goddamn it!"

"Look, Jessica, I have a lot on my plate at the moment and-"

"You always have a lot on your plate, but nothing like this has ever happened before. What's going on Harvey?"

Harvey didn't know how to reply to that.

"If it's anything shady, I swear to God-"

"How could you even think that? I just forgot, alright?" Harvey said, growing even more irritable.

Jessica shook her head. "You forgot an important meeting _and_ you weren't even here most of yesterday afternoon,"

"Jessica, just get off my back. I have had enough people bothering me today!" Harvey said, raising his voice. He instantly regretted it.

"Harvey, you do realise you're talking to the managing partner of this firm?"

Harvey was growing more and more frustrated by the second. Why couldn't people just leave him alone? There wasn't anything wrong. He was coping just fine.

"Jessica," He said, rubbing his neck. "Just go, please,"

Jessica leant in. "I _will_ find out if anything shady is going on here, Harvey," She said, in a quiet but threatening voice. "And I have given you enough chances. You can't just do whatever you want. You are going to be in here every day, working the full hours, like every other goddamn senior partner in this firm,"

With that, she left.

"Fuck," Harvey muttered to himself, slamming his hand on the desk.

He looked up to see Donna standing in front of his desk. "Harvey, you can't go on like this,"

"I _know,_ Donna,"

"Is there someone else who can look after Mike for a bit?"

"I'm not just gonna abandon him, Donna. He needs me, now more than ever,"

"You don't have to abandon him. It's not like you spend any time with him now anyway. You leave when he is asleep, and get back when he's asleep,"

"Donna, please, I don't need a lecture. And he needs to know I'm there for him. He has just lost his mother. I'm the only person he has left,"

"Exactly. You need more people,"

"What do you mean?"

"Kids need more than one person who loves them,"

"Donna, I tried talking to my mother, but it just didn't work out,"

"I know, Harvey, but maybe-"

"And if someone else turns up to look after him, they'll basically be saying, 'oh, hi, Mike. Harvey sent me because his work is much more important to him than you are',"

"Look, Harvey, I've tried to help, but I don't know what else there is to do. I think there's only one thing you can do,"

"And what would that be?" Harvey asked, trying to hide his irritation.

"Tell Jessica,"

Harvey exhaled sharply and gave a small chuckle. He opened his mouth to speak but Donna interrupted him.

"Harvey, you know you will have to do it at some point. And you may not realise this, but she _is_ a sensitive person. She will understand, and she might be able to give you a few days off. At least she will know you're not just slacking off, or doing any shady shit,"

"Alright, Donna. I'll tell her tomorrow,"

"Why tomorrow?"

"Because…" Harvey paused. "I have my reasons, Donna,"

Donna shook her head. "No, you don't. You're just gonna keep putting it off,"

"Donna, just get out. I need to get on with my work,"

"Fine, Harvey," She shrugged. "There really isn't anything more I can do. You asked for my help, and I gave it to you. And now…" She shook her head slowly and turned around to walk out.

"Actually, I don't recall asking for your help,"

Donna spun around. "Yeah, you never ask for help, even when you know you need it. That's the problem," Then she walked out.

Harvey rubbed his eyes, black circles appearing in the edges of the vision. He knew that Donna was right. About everything. But that didn't stop him being annoyed with her. He was just feeling irritated with everyone and everything. He had forgotten what it was like to be this tired.

Could he tell Jessica about Mike? It wouldn't be easy. But then, he _had_ told Donna. But Donna was different; she was like family.

"Harvey, Louis is here to see you," He heard Donna's voice through the intercom.

"Not now. I'm busy," He replied, but at that moment, Louis walked through the door, an angry expression on his face.

"I had to cover you in that meeting yesterday, Harvey, and I want to know what the hell is going on,"

Harvey groaned. "Louis. It's done, ok? I forgot to go to the meeting, and that's it. Now get the hell out of my office. I actually have work to do,"

"That's not an answer, Harvey,"

"Look, Louis," Harvey replied slowly, standing up. "I just forgot,"

"How can you forget your client's goddamn board meeting?" Louis' face was growing redder and redder as he grew more frustrated.

"I don't have to deal with this right now. I have work to do. Now get out!" Harvey said raising his voice.

Louis shook his head, smiling coldly. "I _am_ going to find out what's going on, Harvey,"

"Fine. Waste your precious time finding out something that doesn't even exist," Harvey said, walking round the desk.

"And if its anything shady-"

"Goddamn it!" Harvey shouted, finally taking all his anger and frustration out. "Everyone thinks they can just waltz into my office today and accuse me of shit and I have had enough. Get out,"

Harvey clenched his fists. He felt like punching something. Or someone. But he had to stay calm.

After a few seconds, they both broke eye contact, and Louis walked out, leaving Harvey standing in the middle of his office, trying to calm himself down.

Donna was right; this couldn't go on.

 **Thanks for reading! Please leave a review telling me what you think, doesn't matter if it's critical, and watch out for the next few chapter in the next couple of days.**


	7. Chapter 7

Harvey had made up his mind. He was going to go to Jessica and tell her everything, then ask if Louis could handle a few of his cases. At least if he asked that, she would know how important it was; there was no way Harvey would trust _Louis_ with one of his cases unless something serious was going on. He had told Mike his plan the night before and he had seemed happy. Or at least, as happy as someone who has just lost their mother can be. Harvey had told him about when his father died, and tried to comfort him. He was starting to improve now. He had gone to school today, just before Harvey left for work, and hopefully he would come to the office later so that Harvey could introduce him to Jessica.

The only thing Harvey was worried about was rumours. He knew that people would find out about Mike, but what would happen to his reputation? And what about Louis? He had always wanted a son, and now Harvey had one. Harvey knew how petty he could be sometimes, and they weren't exactly chummy at the moment. Soon everyone would know about Mike, and Harvey had no idea what they would think.

"Hey, Donna," Harvey said, walking up to Donna's desk. "Did you-"

Donna held out a pile of folders.

"Thanks. Can you get Rick in my office?"

"Rick?"

"Yes, you know, my associate?"

"Alright, but are you going to talk-"

"To Jessica? She's in a meeting at the moment, but she should be out by 10 so I'll go then,"

"That's good, Harvey. I know it will be hard to do, but it just needs to be done,"

"Yeah," Harvey smiled slightly. "I know. I'm feeling better already, actually,"

"Sleep better last night?"

"Yeah. Mike is starting to get back to his normal self, which helps,"

Donna nodded, smiling sympathetically. "That's good,"

Harvey nodded back at her and walked into his office.

Just as Harvey sat down at his desk, his cell phone rang. He didn't recognise the number, but he answered.

"Is this Harvey Specter? Father of Mike Ross?" He heard a woman's voice on the other side.

"Yes," Harvey suddenly felt his stomach fill with anxiety. Was something wrong? Had something happened to Mike? "Who's that?"

"Lower Manhattan Middle School,"

"Is everything all right?"

"Mike didn't come into school this morning. Is he at home, ill?"

"What? He's not there? Are you absolutely sure?"

"Yes, absolutely sure,"

"Alright, well, thanks for calling,"

"We hope he's alright,"

"I'm sure he's fine,"

Harvey cut the phone off, and rushed out of his office.

"Donna-"

"I heard, Harvey, and I'm coming with you," Donna said, standing up.

"What? No you need to stay here; if someone-"

"Harvey," She looked at her boss with urgent eyes. "You know you need me to help find him,"

Harvey sighed. She was right; she was the best person at this sort of thing. "Alright, well, can you drop an email to Rick saying-"

"Already done. Let's go,"

"My apartment?"

"Sounds like a good place to start,"

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Harvey felt calm. Very calm. His thoughts were unusually collected and he could think so clearly, even though he was panicking inside. He was panicking so much that he was calm.

Harvey put his key into the apartment door and went in, Donna behind him.

"Mike? Mike!" He shouted, rushing into his son's room. He wasn't anywhere.

Harvey rubbed his forehead, thinking hard. Where would he be? His old apartment? Or had something else happened? Maybe he had had an accident on his way to school.

Shit, how could he let this happen. What sort of parent was he, letting his kid-

"Harvey, I know what you're thinking, and this isn't your fault, okay," Donna said, standing in front of him and putting her hands on his shoulders and bringing him in for a hug.

"We will find him. We will. Don't worry," She said softly.

"We don't have time for this. He could be in danger." Harvey said, pulling away and sitting on his bed, trying to think.

"Do you know where his old apartment is?" Donna asked.

Harvey shook his head. "But he wouldn't be there anyway," He took a deep breath. "I have no idea where he could possibly be," Harvey felt the panic rising in him again and his heart beating faster and faster and faster and-

"Did he keep a diary or anything?" Donna asked, searching his desk.

"No. Not that I- Wait…" Harvey suddenly remembered the black leather bound book he had seen on Mike's desk the previous morning.

"Yes. A black leather book,"

He thought back to that morning. There was nothing odd about anything he had seen on Mike's desk, except… the empty pencil sharpener with the blade missing. Harvey suddenly had a horrible thought.

Then he remembered the small bit of blood he had seen on Mike's shorts a few days back.

"Oh, no. No, no, no, no," Harvey ran his hands through his hair and stood up.

"What? What is it Harvey?"

"It's not relevant, I don't think,"

"Everything is relevant Harvey,"

"I think he's… Hurting himself. There was a pencil sharpener missing a blade… and some blood on his shorts the other day,"

"Don't jump to any conclusions, Harvey-"

"No, it makes sense. His mother has just died, and his father… His father spends more time at work than with him. Like he doesn't even care about him," Harvey felt tears brimming in his eyes, and a lump rising in his throat.

He sat down on the bed, his head in his hands.

"This is all my fault." Harvey whispered to himself, trying not to cry. "Donna, it _is_ my fault,"

"It is not your fault," Donna said, sitting down next to him, and putting her hand on his shoulder. "You have done everything you could have, alright. And the best thing you can do now is find him."

"You're right Donna, we do need to find him," Harvey stood up, looking around the room. "His diary will probably be helpful, so we need to find that," He said, his voice shaking slightly.

"Where would you keep a diary if you were a teenage boy?"

"I don't know, Donna!" Harvey threw his hands up in the air and started pacing. "Under the mattress maybe?"

Donna lifted the mattress up and her eyes widened.

"Is it there?" Harvey asked from the other side of the bed.

Donna lifted the book out and handed it to Harvey.

He flicked through to that day's page and scanned through it. All it said was how he wished he could see Harvey more, and how sad he was about his mother's death. There was also something about a Trevor. Who was that?

"Hey," Donna said. "He's left his phone here. There's a password, but a text has come in saying… "Are you nearly here?" And it's from "Trev","

"He's mentioned in here. Doesn't say who he is though. Wait…" Harvey flicked back a few pages.

"No, it does say," Harvey paused, his mouth open and his eyes widened with surprise.

"What is it?"

"His step-brother. His mother's other son. God, I didn't even know he existed,"

"Does it say his address anywhere? Maybe on the inside cover?"

"No, I can't find it," Harvey said, feverishly scanning through the diary. What the hell was going on? Mike must be at Trevor's house… But then…

"Wait, Donna. I think I've got something. 'Trevor moved to a new apartment today. It's on Bristol street…' That's West Manhattan, right?"

"Yes. Let's go,"

 **It got a bit darker and more angsty in this chapter but don't worry, things will get better! ;) Again, sorry I haven't been posting as much as I'd like, I have been really busy recently!**

 **Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter! I'll hopefully post the next one in a few days time.**

 **Thanks for reading and for your lovely reviews too! I really appreciate it! :)**


	8. Chapter 8

**SELF-HARM WARNING. This chapter is skippable in the overall plot, if you are not comfortable with this.**

 _Mike:_

 _2 days earlier…_

I read the text from Trevor again and again.

 _He still loves her. And now she is gone, he keeps getting angry and drunk. I think it's starting again. But don't get involved. Not yet at least. Please, just don't do anything yet._

 _I think it's starting again._

It's starting again.

I sit down on the bed, my phone still in my hand and stare at the text. I have to do something. I can't just sit here and do nothing. Like I did last time. That's what I always do, I suppose. Absolutely nothing. I wanted to help them; my mother and Trevor, but I never can. Never. I feel so helpless and guilty. And now she's gone. I hardly even talked to her in her last days; I didn't do anything to help her or to make her feel better. What kind of son am I? What kind of half-brother am I to Trevor?

I lift my mattress and take out my diary. I shake it and the sharpener blade falls out onto my duvet. I pick it up, wiping off the hardened blood on the edge with my nail. I take a deep breath and stare at the blade.

I am not going to do this. Not again. Last time was bad enough. If I hadn't managed to stop when I did… I think back to that time, before my life completely changed. I remember the days when mom sat on the sofa and cried all day. I tried to help her, but I just couldn't. I tried to comfort her, but it just didn't work. I made dinner, and did the laundry and everything else, but I couldn't make her better. It wasn't even the cancer that made her like that. She never saw a doctor about it, but I think she was depressed. She had this bottle of pills that she said she got a long time ago from a doctor, and she took them sometimes. They didn't make her better though. Some days were alright. Sometimes she was happy. We would watch movies or play board games, and she laughed and smiled. And then the next day, she was crying again. And there was nothing I could do to stop it.

Her mood was infections. Whenever I saw her like that, I got upset too. I so badly wanted to help her, but whatever I did, whatever I said, none of it made any difference. And now she's gone.

I grip the blade in my hand, feeling its sharp, cold edges.

It's too late to help her now. I should have helped her before. But now I can't.

Why do I always mess things up? What's the point of having this stupid memory and brain if I can't even help anybody? I just don't understand. Whatever I do, none of it makes any difference. None of it helps. I just end up making things worse. Maybe I was the reason she was depressed. If she hadn't had me in the first place, her life wouldn't have been ruined. She could've been happy. I feel anger rising in me at myself. At everything.

I don't want to go back to this again. Those nights spent listening to the constant soundtrack of my mother crying, and feeling so helpless. I don't want to be helpless ever again. But I am, because I can't do anything right. I can't even do this right.

My hand balls into a fist as I press the blade against my arm, feeling it's touch tickle my hairs.

I press it down, dragging it across my skin. It's not really pain at first, it's more like an itch, and then the pain grows, a pool of blood forming around the white strip. I wipe the blood with my other hand, pressing into the wound and tears brim in my eyes.

I can't stop the thoughts now, they are growing and growing, taking me over.

 _Useless. Worthless. Stupid. Can't do anything right. Disappointment. Coward._

Trevor is replying on me, and I can't even do anything to help him. I am just a coward, staying here, in my nice apartment, letting him suffer. What kind of half-brother am I?

My hand moves the blade across my skin again and the pain brims up. But it's not enough. I don't feel any better. I need more pain, more punishment. I need to feel it.

Because I deserve it.

I don't even know how this started, all those years ago. I was just so frustrated and angry with myself that I picked up a drawing pin and slashed my thigh open. I did it again and again. And now it's starting again.

Why can't I help Trevor? Why am I so useless? I feel like I want to just scream. I want to scream until I don't have any breath left.

And then a thought hits me. Why _can't_ I help Trevor? Why not? He doesn't live far from here. All I have to do is go down there and bring him back here. His dad might not even be in.

If I don't do this, I will feel guilty for the rest of my life. Things will just get worse and worse.

I have to help him.

 **I just want to say thank you to everyone for the reviews and faves! I never thought this story would be so popular and it's so nice knowing that there are people out there reading and enjoying my writing!**

 **So thank you!**

 **I can't believe we have to wait until January for the next episode! :( How will we all survive? Wait... I have the answer! Fanfiction!**

 **I have some ideas for a new one, but after the main story with this one has finished, I might do some one-shots in the same AU. As always, any prompts or requests are welcomed!**

 **Hope you enjoyed reading and sorry for the long A/N and about how depressing this chapter was...**

 **Odysseus :)**


	9. Chapter 9

**Here it is, what you've all been waiting for! Sorry it took so long; I've been really busy recently.**

 **I really hope you enjoy this last chapter :) I've finished the epilogue so I'll put that up soon.**

Donna stared at Harvey as they trundled along at 20 miles per hour, Ray driving as quickly as he could in the hectic New York traffic. Harvey was bent over in his seat, studying Mike's diary. She could see his expression change every second, from worry to sadness, to happiness, to what looked like pride, then to worry again, as his eyes scanned over Mike's messy handwriting. She couldn't imagine what this must be like for him. Over the past few weeks, she had spoken to Mike a lot, while Harvey was busy working, and he was waiting for him. She had nearly come to think of him as her own son. She hadn't seen him since they had heard the terrible news of his mother's death though.

She glanced over at her boss again, noting the concern on his face. His eyebrows were furrowed, and his jaw was clenched.

"Shit," He muttered under his breath.

"What is it?" Donna asked him.

"'Trev's dad got drunk again today. It's the second time in the last week, and I don't know what to do. Trev keeps telling me that it's nothing, and he never gets hurt _that_ badly, but I don't know. I want to go and see him, but I don't know what to tell mum'," Harvey looked up at Donna. "No wonder he's gone to see his half-brother. He couldn't save his mother, but he can save him. That must be what he's thinking."

Donna's expression was filled with sympathy. Tentatively, she reached out and put her and on Harvey's arm, feeling him shake slightly.

"It's going to be fine, Harvey. We'll find them," She said slowly, looking into his eyes.

"Thanks, Donna," Harvey replied, but his face was still full of anxiety.

"Right, this is No. 18, Bristol Street," Ray said from the front, pulling up onto the side-walk. The whole street looked run down, with old cars littering the streets, and a rubbish tip in the corner, surrounded by bins.

Harvey and Donna got out of the car hurriedly, telling Ray to wait there.

Harvey walked around the car onto the side-walk and looked at the door labelled 18, taking a deep breath in. For the first time in his life he was properly scared, not for himself, but for someone else. He suddenly felt protective; he felt like if that man did anything to his son he would kill him. He looked at Donna, hesitating, and she nodded, urging him on. He walked to the door and was about to knock when he heard a cry from inside. He could just make out the muffled voices.

"Told you… Not to come… Again… My son… How I want to… Get out… Little bastard… My house… Not my fault… Died…" The words were projected by a deep, clumsy voice laced with venom, and loud enough for them to hear from outside the house. Then there was a thump.

Harvey pounded on the door. "Mike?!" He shouted at the top of his voice, hitting the door again.

There was a sudden silence for what seemed like hours. Then: "Dad…" Came a small, weak voice from inside.

Then the shouting started again. "Who's that man out there? Your bastard of a father left years ago. Tell me! Who is it?"

"Let me in!" Shouted Harvey again, pounding on the door again. His fists were sore but he carried on. "I'm his legal guardian and I have a right to see my son!" He knew it was futile, but it was still worth a try.

"…Upstairs… That way… Quick," Harvey heard whispers from inside. He pounded on the door once more and leant against it, his lungs heaving.

"Police?" Donna asked.

"No, I need to deal with this bastard myself,"

There was a look of fire in Harvey's eyes. Donna had seen him angry, but this was different.

She stepped forwards, taking a hairpin out of her pocket and after bending it into shape, inserted it into the lock.

Harvey was surprised, but he didn't say anything. After all, Donna did have a lot of hidden talents.

30 seconds later, they both stepped into the building and ran up the stairs. "Mike?" Harvey shouted.

"In here!" Came the faint reply, from the room at the end of the corridor. Harvey sprinted there, and tried to open the door, but it was locked.

Donna stepped forwards, but Harvey stopped her. "I can deal with this one. Mike, stand back!"

He stepped backwards, then barged into the door with full force. There was a crack as the wood splintered and the door swung open, just about attached to its hinges.

Harvey and Donna rushed into the room to find Mike standing in the corner, a smaller boy clinging onto him. Mike's lip was covered in blood and the area around his left eye was swollen and red. It broke Harvey's heart to see his son like this. And filled him with even more anger for the son of a bitch that did it.

"Dad!" Mike said weakly, his voice full of relief. "It's alright, Trev. He's here to help us," he said to the smaller boy. Harvey ran up to the kids and put his arms around them both, squeezing them tight.

He felt tears running down his face as he held his son, emotion welling inside of him.

"Don't you ever do that to me again, kid," Was the only thing he could manage to say.

"I'm sorry, dad," Mike said, sniffling.

"It's okay Mike, I'm just glad you're safe. But if anything like this ever happens again, you tell me and I will deal with it, alright?" Harvey said, looking into his son's eyes, a serious expression on his face.

"Alright," Mike said, tears welling in his eyes.

"Come here," Harvey said, extending his arms out towards his son.

Harvey and Mike hugged for another few seconds, then pulled apart.

"Here," Said Donna, softly, holding out some tissues to Mike. "We'll get that seen too properly, but for now, this should do,"

"Thanks, Donna," Mike said, but he looked anxious. "Trev's dad's still here though."

Harvey opened his mouth to say something, but a sudden shout came from downstairs.

"Ross! You're gonna tell me right now who those people are, and what they are doing here, or I'm gonna beat the shit out of you and your little brother," Then came slow, heavy footsteps up the stairs, getting louder and louder.

Harvey put his finger to his lips and motioned to the boys and Donna to get behind him.

The man reached the top of the stairs, and a look of surprise and rage appeared on his face. He was holding a baseball bat in his right hand.

"I don't know who you are, or how you got in here, but you're gonna get the fuck out of this house in the next ten seconds, or-"

"Or what?" Interrupted Harvey, taking a step forward.

The man laughed. "You realise I'm the one holding the fucking baseball bat, right? So you get the fuck out and never come back, or this bat will be the last thing you see,"

Harvey knew how to deal with men like this; he'd come across enough in the boxing ring.

"You think? I bet my grandma could beat you in a fight, you ugly piece of shit,"

"Oh yeah?"

The man took a step forward and swung the bat clumsily. He had obviously had too much to drink. Harvey used the large man's momentum to push him into the wall. The man grunted in surprise. Then Harvey grabbed him by the collar. He could smell the alcohol on him. He felt more rage than he had ever felt in his life. He had never seen a man so low, so cruel, so deserving of a good beating. So he punched him, right in the nose. Blood immediately started to flow. The man struggled against Harvey, but he held him firm. He punched him again in the face. And again. Then twice in the stomach. He could vaguely hear Donna say something in the background, maybe to go easy, or stop, but he couldn't. Harvey punched him again in the face, catching his left eye. The man's face was covered in bright red blood.

Harvey leaned in close.

"If you ever come near my son again, I _will_ kill you, do you understand?"

The man nodded, his eyes full of fear. Harvey stared into them with hatred, breathing quickly. Then he shoved him onto the floor.

The man didn't move.

Harvey felt a sudden panic clutch his chest. Was he dead?

Donna came over to Harvey, then knelt down on the flood and took the man's pulse.

Harvey just stared. Then looked at his knuckles, caked in another man's blood. Then he looked at Mike. Just as he was beginning to feel regret, he was reminded of what this man had done. He had deserved every minute of it.

"He's alive, just unconscious," Breathed Donna, her voice filled with relief.

Harvey exhaled. "Good,"

He turned to face his son. "C'mon. Let's get away from here,"

"What about Trev?" Mike asked. His brother's hand was still clasped in his own.

"We'll take him with us for now. Then call social services. We'll sort it out; he's safe now."

Trev looked at Harvey and smiled slightly. He looked nervous.

"That man will never hurt you again, ok?" Harvey said, with surety.

Trev nodded.

"Why don't you get your stuff together and we'll leave."

Trev nodded again, then turned and went back into the room.

"How's your face, champ?" Harvey said to his son.

"It's alright. Hurts a bit," Mike replied.

"You did the right thing, but for gosh's sake, don't ever do it again, ok? I was so worried about you,"

"Sorry," Mike said, looking a bit crestfallen.

"Come here," Harvey put out his arms and embraced his son. He held him tight and stroked his hair softly. He wished he could never let go.


	10. Epilogue

_6 months later…_

Mike stepped out of the elevator, and nearly bumped into the managing partner of his father's firm.

"Sorry!" He said hurriedly.

"It's alright," Jessica replied. "How'd your first day in year 12 go?" She asked with a smile.

"It was good. Really good," Mike said, smiling back.

"Great. I'm glad to hear that," Jessica said, with a nod, and carried on walking.

Mike walked to Harvey's office and looked in through the glass. His dad was in what looked like a heated discussion with a client, so he leant on Donna's desk and greeted her.

"Oh, hi, Mike," Donna said, looking up from her screen with a smile. "How was your new school?"

"Brilliant. It actually was. No kidding," Mike said honestly. He had moved to a new school closer to the apartment, and it was much better than the old one.

"Good. Harvey should be out of that meeting in…" She turned around and looked into her boss' office, studying the two men's faces. "About 13 seconds. Give or take,"

Mike grinned. "Thanks, Donna,"

Around 13 seconds later, the man walked out of Harvey's office, an angry expression on his face, and marched down the corridor.

"Hey, dad," Mike walked into Harvey's office and sat on the sofa with a thump.

"Mike," Harvey looked up from his laptop screen and smiled. "How was school?"

"Really good, actually. I'm so glad they moved me up another year. I mean, it's still easy, but less so," Mike said with a smirk.

Harvey nodded. His son was now in year 12, even though he was only 15.

"You know when you asked me a while back if I wanted to be a lawyer? Well, I think I do. But I don't want to do corporate law, at least not for all of my career. I want to help people. People like my mom and Trevor. What do you think?"

"I think that is a brilliant choice, kid," He replied. Harvey knew that if he had asked that if someone had asked him that a year ago, his answer would be very different. "You could come work for me a couple of years as well,"

"Obviously," Said Mike, getting up and sitting on the windowsill, looking out at the city.

Mike had gone to therapy for a few months, after the whole situation with his mother and half-brother. He was different now. He hadn't gotten completely better, but Harvey could tell that he was much happier than before. He had this glow to him, a bounce, like a ball of energy. Harvey didn't know what life would be like without him, now. He just couldn't imagine it. Things had changed so much. Mike got to visit Trevor regularly in his foster home as well; Harvey hadn't met the criteria to adopt him himself. No such thing as a completely happy ending, Harvey thought to himself. But this is about as close as you can get.

And it wasn't just Mike who had changed, it was Harvey too. He had made up with his family now, and he had grown more empathetic and compassionate. And now, he actually had someone to care about more than himself. He had thought he would never feel like this before, that he would be willing to give his life for someone else, but Mike was different. Mike was his son.

"Hey, Mike, the extra keys came today, for the apartment," Harvey said, suddenly remembering the package that had arrived in the morning. "You won't have to come here every day before going home anymore,"

"Thanks, but I like hanging here after school," Mike said, smiling.

"So do I, kid. So do I. It's nice having another person I can boss around," Said Harvey, jokingly.

"It's nice having an office I can trash any time I want to…" Mike replied, a serious expression on his face.

"Get out," Harvey said, still smiling.

"Alright, but you're not a very good role model, peeing in Louis' office and blaming it on his cat," Mike said loudly.

"Shut up and get the hell out of here, kid," Harvey said with a chuckle.

It was nice to have some banter after a long day of work. And it was nice having Mike back to his cheery self.

The therapy had really helped Mike to get back to his normal self. At one point, Harvey started to develop a crush on Dr Paula Agard, but he didn't think it was right to go out with his son's therapist. He didn't want to put Mike in that position.

But he was glad he hadn't gone out with her, because he had found something so much better. Something he should've done a long time ago, and without Mike, it might never have happened.

"Are we on for tonight?" Donna said, standing in the doorway of Harvey's office.

"Of course. When have I ever cancelled on you?" Said Harvey with a wink. His smile was so wide, he felt like it was going to jump off his face.

He couldn't stop smiling though, even after Donna had left.

 _ **-THE END-**_

 **Thank you for all your lovely reviews and support! I hope you enjoyed reading this fanfic as much as I enjoyed writing it, and I'm sorry for the really cheesy ending; I couldn't help myself ;)**

 **Bye for now!**

 **Odysseus**


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